A Rant With Some Romance

Very excited to receive a package in the mail this week. The daughter has been busy divesting herself of surplus possessions and is returning all the DVDs and books she has borrowed over the past ten years. Unpacking the gift box was more exciting than Christmas, I have to tell you, except for the Eucalyptus flavoured fudge made in her home town. It was just as I imagined Vicks Vaporub, a topical ointment made of eucalyptus, camphor, and menthol,   designed to unblock sinus passages, would taste. Though not a fan of fudge – hurts the teeth and the sugar surge produces headaches – it was a lovely thought, Cat Balou. Anyway, it feels good to have my Errol Flynns back in the fold. 

Included in the parcel were a few recent novels to add to the Little Library for Valentines Day. Said child has been contributing to Blind Date With A Book for several years.

“The Book Ninja” by Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus has an interesting back story.

In real life these lasses instigated Books On The Rail, a movement whereby books are left  on public transport services around Melbourne and beyond to be shared time and time again amongst commuters. They call themselves Book Ninjas.

The novel, first published in 2018, is set in a bookshop in Melbourne where one of the employees, a woeful book snob with a penchant for the classics, plants books on trains in her search for love. Towards the end of each book she writes a pithy comment and includes her email address with the assumption that any single young man worth his salt will make contact. Thus, her dating experiences become the fodder for her popular blog. However, it is a young man who only reads YA Fiction who wins her heart – with all the tears, angst and drama you expect.

It is an easy read which includes blog posts, emails and text messages. I guess that makes it a young persons read though it does include book quotes and references which makes it an interesting book for all ages.

I finished it whilst overseeing pineapple and lime marmalade production on the stove top.

By the way, I’m no fan of pineapples – same tooth and sugar issue- and I have a pineapple story from years back not fit for public consumption. But our Australian pineapple farmers are currently doing it tough and opting to plough their crops in rather than harvest. There is something intrinsically wrong with this, so buy a couple of pineapples and help a farmer. End of rant.

Ripples

Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects.” – Dalai Lama

In a recent post I shared how a girlfriend, along with many other volunteers, helped our wildlife after the 2020 bushfires by knitting and sewing temporary homes for our creatures until the shrubs and trees regrew to a state that enabled them to provide adequate shelter and food. See Tippy and Jellybean.

I failed Home Economics at High School and the antique Singer sewing machine, in fine working order, that was gifted to me by my mother was put to use as a garden ornament, though I did finance a couple of balls of bamboo wool for the cause.

Yesterday, I purchased a Date and Walnut Roll from a street corner stall run by volunteers from the local Cancer Council. Staffed by no-one under the age of 75 years (a conservative estimate) the cake cook admitted that she was “tired” having cooked some 300 cakes throughout the year to raise funds for Cancer patients with hands-on assistance programs. They also sew children’s clothing; another Christmas present for the Little Person. Yay!

A craft minded girlfriend sent information this week about a group she recently joined called Capes4Kids that sew super hero capes for kiddies undergoing major treatment in hospital. Yet another in downsizing mode gave me a bag of material which I passed on to a local group of retired women who sew new pyjamas for kiddies being removed from their homes for safety reasons by Community Services.

Lismore, in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, gained international media attention earlier this year after it literally drowned under flood waters. A few months later  Lismore went under again and to this day there remains much speculation as to whether to rebuild or not. It remains a regional city fighting for its survival with many residents left with nothing. Whilst Governments organise financial assistance packages another friend with a creative bent shares that she joined a movement, Hearts For Lismore,  to remind Lismore residents that Australians across the nation had their backs by sending ” hearts of love and hope”. Many residences have painted hearts, fabric hearts, or even mosaic hearts courtesy of my friend, displayed proudly on what is left of their properties.

https://www.facebook.com/heartsforlismore/

” I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

With the Christmas Season hot on our heels I will be busy preparing meals to feed an army as well as reflecting on the little ripples that made up this year and pondering what mischief I can get myself into during the coming year. I wish you all a peaceful and safe holiday period, full of laughter and good books, and hope we all throw a pebble or two into the waters in 2023.

Love this! Sand bags put to good use after the recent floods on the Victorian border.

Getting Out And About or More Positives From Covid

I recently read The Battle of Brisbane – Australians and the Yanks At War. See here: .https://wordpress.com/post/brizzymaysbooksandbruschettasite.wordpress.com/5664

One of the positives from Covid and its lingering presence is that in order to survive and remain relevant organisations of all shapes and sizes are having to change with the times. A case in point, the Museum of Brisbane, totally seperate to the Queensland Museum, has recently added some fascinating events to retain interest and to educate.

One of these is a Walking In Wartime tour that steps back through time to look at Brisbane during World War 2 and includes the sites of the infamous Battle of Brisbane.

Other venues include a Dance Hall, a Church which was instrumental in the supply of war brides, Aussie Code breaking secrets, and the Douglas MacArthur Museum.

Now just hold on : 25 years living in Brissi and I’ve never previously heard of this place. What’s going on????

Of course I’ve booked.

The other innovative event I’ve only discovered with 24 hours notice is the Farmgate Trail in the Scenic Rim, only 90 minutes west of Brisbane. The idea being that you pack the esky and travel west to meet primary producers selling their wares : meet the farmer and buy from the paddock with fresh vegetables, cheeses, wines, and camel and beef meat on offer.

What a great little excursion, and a fun way to show the kiddies where their food comes from.

On a personal note Brisbane is back out of Lockdown. Just in the nick of time too as I attended my zoom book club in pjs with a glass of wine…..

Pandemic Quilt Project

The Greater Brisbane area has just come out of a three day Lockdown albeit with restrictions. Having been flat chat for the last month I relished the enforced slow down: movies during the day, toasties for tea and never picked up a broom.

It reminded me once again of all the satisfying projects that came out of Lockdown 2020. ( Don’t look at me like that : stuffing and baking a cauliflower does not qualify as a project apparently).

Back in autumn, when Lockdown was as its strictest, ABC Radio Brisbane put out a call to Queenslanders to contribute a small textile square which would be made into a ‘quarantine quilt’.

The only criteria were that the squares needed to measure a particular size, they should feature joyful and colourful motifs, and they needed to represent people’s isolation experiences during the pandemic, with a focus on what made them happy.

Too easy? Not for this black duck who failed art and sewing and was asked to leave cookery class in High School.

Courtesy of Queensland State Library.

The submitted squares came in by the hundreds.

“Woven into each square are the personal stories of individuals who have not only struggled through life in lockdown, but who have also kept a sense of humour about life in a pandemic. The finished squares, mostly depicting the lives of women around the state, feature everything from going bra-less at home, a plumber doing repairs, gardens, books, cups of tea, jigsaw puzzles, and face masks.”

Once all the squares were collected they were attached to backing thereby constructing the quilt, which is now hanging proudly in the Queensland State Library.

What I really like is that each square includes the details of how it came to be : who created it, how it was created, and what it represents.

Courtesy of Queensland State Library

For more info, including a breakdown of each and every square, go here:

https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/queensland-quarantine-quilt-comes-state-librarys-collection

Considering I neither knit nor crochet I found this fascinating.

Now that’s what I call a PROJECT.

The Letterbox Project

Still reflecting on some of the positives that came out of 2020 one of my favourite initiatives is The Letterbox Project.

The Letterbox Project sends handwritten letters from all across Australia to people experiencing isolation and loneliness. They source writers, manage and approve all letters, and deliver them safety to vulnerable people.

The Letterbox Project quickly become a national service supporting tens of thousands of people. With over 13,000 writers they are averaging over 500 letters being sent each week into nursing homes, disability services, and to lonely people across the country. There are over 270 schools participating, and a growing list of large corporations getting involved.

Why did this all come about ?

1. There are up to 240,000 Australians in residential care and 40% receive no visitors.
2. 1 in 8 adults with a disability get less than 30 minutes a day interaction with another person.
3. 2.5 million Australians are not connected to the internet.
4. There are more than 6,000 young people with disabilities in permanent residential care.
5. Loneliness and Isolation are major predictors of mental health issues.

For further information about Why see here: https://www.connectedau.com.au/the-letterbox

I signed up early in the piece and have been corresponding with a nonagenarian in a nursing home in Tasmania with a passion for cats. It’s surprisingly difficult to write enthusiastically pages and pages about felines and indeed a handwritten letter takes effort after many years on a word processor. ( as long term victims of my annual Christmas letter will confirm).

This task is rolling over as a 21 project.

A Sunday Drive To Manly

Manly is a bayside suburb of Brisbane located approximately 19 km east of the CBD and less than a fifteen minute drive north along the coast from where I call home.

Sundays at Manly are normally busy with Farmers and Creative Markets dotted along the foreshore. Not so today after heavy overnight rain although dog walkers, coffee drinkers and Little People on all sorts of wheeled transport were out in full force.

Because it is bounded by Moreton Bay – with its spectaculars view out to St Helena Island ( a colonial penitentiary with major claims to brutality) –  a number of boating clubs are based in Manly including the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. In warmer weather there’s a lot of Jimmy Buffet wafting across the water.

Numerous Seafood Restaurants and Cafes line the streets, as well as The Mad Hatters Bookshop and an Art Gallery that never fails to disappoint.

Way back in the 1840’s the suburb in which I live was mooted as the Capital City of Queensland. However, when Governor Sir George Gipps visited it is reported that upon disembarking his boat he immediately sank into the mudflats up to his waist. He was so annoyed by this that he quickly changed his mind. It was low tide at Manly this morning with mudflats of a similar ilk. Can you tell?

In earlier days Manly was known as a holiday spot for those from the city or farmers from the country and it still has a bit of that vibe.

Worth a visit, particularly during those wicked Queensland Summer months when you’re about to throw yourself under a bus if you don’t get some relief from the humidity.

TIP

Some of the local restaurants are flash but always remember, you are paying for the real estate. Sails at the Manly Hotel puts on a good feed and you don’t need a second mortgage.

Ulladulla, Books and Empty Esky

My connection with the south coast of New South Wales goes way back. The beautiful coast is an area that was featured on the media over Christmas and New Year because of the apocalyptic bushfires. It was peak tourist season which made it both an environmental and economic disaster.

In normal years Easter would have been the perfect tonic for a semblance of financial recovery as families from Sydney and Canberra flock to the area for school holidays – and Ulladulla’s annual Blessing Of The Fleet celebrations. This is a ceremony which started back in the mid 1950’s when Ulladulla, which means “safe harbour”, was the port for the largest fishing fleet on the south coast and run by Italian immigrants who brought the centuries old tradition over from Sicily.

I have many fond memories of the Blessing Of The Fleet festivities including the year my sister and I were forced to get out of our cossies and to frock up in our Sunday best to meet the Special Navy Guest for the occasion, Admiral Crabbe, whom my  ten year old sister greeted with a “Welcome Admiral Crap”.

2020 has been anything but normal. We spent Easter in lockdown.

Back in the 70’s my Dad won enough money on a galloper named Rajah Sahib to buy a block of land on the hill overlooking Ulladulla harbour. In later years he would wait for the trawlers to return and watch the unloading of their catches from the comfort of his lounge room. Both his and my sister’s ashes were scattered in the ocean just outside the harbour and close to a favoured fishing spot.

Ulladulla, approximately 230 kms south of Sydney, is doing it tough just like so many other townships all along the coast.

Empty Esky is an initiative on social media firstly to promote business devastated by the fires and to encourage visits from tourists when allowed. They’ve highlighted breweries, bakeries, gift shops, jewellers and all manner of local produce to a broad audience.

My money is going to small business this year. I‘m a 1000 kilometres from the south coast so am unable to do much, but I can do a bit……….

………. starting with the Harbour Bookshop in Ulladulla, an independent book store on the highway that runs through the middle of town, which has an easy to manoeuvre website and posts all book orders over $60 at no additional cost. 

Thank you to my two Book Fairies for organising some new books for their old Mo and introducing me to this retail outlet on the coast.

Next month I’ll look into a boutique Gin Distillery I’ve discovered on Empty Esky just a little further down the coast.

The Strange History of Possum Island Free State by Tim Slee

Tim (TJ) Slee is the Australian author of Taking Tom Murray Home, released in 2019, and the winner of the inaugural Banjo prize.

His latest novella has been released to support participating Australian Book Sellers. The author receives no royalties and requests that you support a local bookstore when they re-open for business. Go here for your free copy from Book Funnel:

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/g0hwxd6dec

The blub for The Strange History of Possum Island Free State states:

“Sometimes you pick a place, and sometimes the place picks you.

Red Rigney was given five years to live. He didn’t expect to spend it living on Possum Island. But Possum Island had plans for Red Rigney.”

I read this in a single sitting. Loved it – just so Aussie in both tone and topic. Student squats in inner Sydney, the avant-garde arts scene, an island in the middle of the harbour, native title disputes, remnants of a convict past, the red tape of bureaucracy………. All so very familiar………

Slee sure knows how to tell a good yarn !

Museums Aren’t Dead

The Redland Museum is my local history museum and is situated in the suburb of Cleveland, Brisbane. It specialises in preserving the Redland’s social history from 1842 to the present day.

Each year the Museum hosts the local community theatre group who perform an Australian-themed play over a period that includes January 26th – Australia Day. The event is a fundraiser for both the theatre group and the museum and is an example of community working together at its best with meals being prepared, cooked and served by both volunteer museum staff and the performers.

With the rain we were prevented from eating alfresco under the towering eucalypts, and instead dined amongst the Cobb and Co Carriages and fencing wire display. As always it was a hugely entertaining night.

The Museum takes pride in regularly changing its exhibits.

Room For Reading explores its large collection of children’s Annuals and favourite books such as Charles Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ together with nostalgic Christmas cards and postcards sent from France by soldiers in the First World War.

Extended to February29th.

Publishers of magazines and periodicals introduced ‘Annuals’ during the first decades of the 19th Century. By the late 1800s, the genre of children’s annuals developed rapidly. Publishers competed for their share of this emerging, and increasingly literate, reading audience. The ‘Boy’s Own Annual’ and the ‘Girl’s Own Annual’ engrossed young readers with adventure stories for boys and educational articles for girls. I always opted for the Boy’s Own myself.

Who would buy a bag from Harrod’s when this was on offer at Notting Hill?

Other books on display include Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and W.E. Johns pilot and adventurer ‘Biggles’ as well as  children’s books by Australian authors such as ‘Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’, ‘The Magic Pudding’ and ‘Blinky Bill’. I will forever remain enamoured by the Gumnut babies….

It’s a small exhibition but it brought back many memories.

NOTE: I was talking to an English lass today who was unfamiliar with May Gibbs and her gumnut babies. So, for cultural exchange purposes a photo of gumnuts, which were the idea behind Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Beautiful, aren’t they?

Happy Australia Day Long Weekend

In 2011, 24 year old Turia Pitt, was trapped in a grass fire blaze during a 100km ultra marathon in the Australian outback. She suffered full thickness burns to 65% of her body.

Turia spent over six months in hospital and underwent over 200 operations.

Pitt has mentored thousands through her online programs, raised funds and awareness for a variety of philanthropic concerns, and authored two books: *Everything To Live For, and Unmasked.

On the quiet she also visits burns victims whilst in hospital, including those from the recent volcano disaster in New Zealand.

The young mum has recently started a campaign called Spend with Them, with the intent to drive spending in tourist towns decimated by fire.

“For example, if you live on the coast, you can jump on to the Instagram page, Spend with Them, and buy something from a homewares store in Milton, or a bottle of gin from a microbrewery in Bega and you can help put the money into the pockets of those who need it.”

Empty Esky is another successful grassroots campaign and movement founded by three friends, that inspires people to go on a road trip to the many unique Australian towns affected by the bushfires and spend their money on local goods and services to inject money back into the community – take an #emptyesky and fill it with local produce, goods and treats. Empty Esky is a simple, effective, long-term way for the public, travellers and adventurers alike, to help those towns bounce back.

It’s not easy to participate in these activities when you reside in faraway Queensland, though both initiatives include opportunities to shop online. Again, something I’m not into but am getting the hang of quite easily:)

And a florist in Batemans Bay on the south coast of NSW, A Classy Touch, delivered a flower and fruit basket on my behalf and included two kilos of carrots for some of the local kangaroo population.

Shop local. Spend local. Spend big.

*Everything To Live For is a wonderful read which will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. This is the story of one strong, brave, funny, courageous Aussie lass. Love her to bits.